Thursday, March 28, AD 2024 8:07am

Kevin McCarthy Left Holding the Bag-Updated

 

 

It is no secret that for decades Republican voters have been disappointed in the leadership of the Republican Party.  This came to a head yesterday with inability of Kevin McCarthy (R.Ca.), Republican Majority Leader, to get the votes necessary to become Speaker.  A member of the House since 2006, McCarthy has spent his time climbing the Republican path to leadership rung by rung, working methodically to reach his goal.  He has specialized in placation and attempting not to offend anyone.  His principles have shifted with what was necessary, as he perceived it, to advance his ambitions.  In normal times he would have reached his goal, been Speaker for a bit, and then retired to follow the well trodden path of making a lot of money and enjoying the status of Republican elder statesman.  The times, however, are far from normal.

I doubt if McCarthy until recently took seriously the handful of Republican members of the House who opposed him.  I assume that he thought that he could make deals and enough of them would fall into line that the vote for Speaker would be a forgone conclusion.  Why didn’t that happen?  I think largely due to the Red Wave becoming the Red sprinkle, and the seeming indifference to this debacle by the Republican leadership.  The reaction of the leadership was to blame others and rapidly attempt to change the subject.  Not going to work this time.  The shocker yesterday was that in addition to the members who were foremost  in their opposition was that a total of nineteen Republicans, twenty by the third ballot, stood firm, and the nation witnessed the first contested Speaker of the House race for over a century.  This would not be happening if the Red Wave had materialized, rather than being drowned in Democrat vote harvesting techniques, lackluster GOP fundraising and the ongoing civil war between Maga and non Maga.

I doubt if McCarthy can get the votes necessary to be Speaker of the House from the GOP.  His temptation now will be to cut a deal with the Democrats, offer them a power sharing arrangement in exchange for votes.  I doubt if this would work.  If news got out about this, McCarthy’s strength among Republicans, such as it is, would collapse.  Democrats would be reluctant to vote for McCarthy as Speaker, due to the fear that their voters would miss the tactical nuance and crucify them for supporting a Republican.

If McCarthy can’t thread the needle today, I think we will see a GOP stampede to Scalise or Jordan, both of whom currently support McCarthy.  One thing is for sure:  Republicans who long for business as usual are apt to be disappointed in this Congress.

 

Update:  And the voting today is underway and McCarthy does not have the votes:

0 0 votes
Article Rating
19 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Clinton
Clinton
Wednesday, January 4, AD 2023 5:04am

”one thing is for sure: Republicans who long for business as usual are apt to be disappointed in this Congress”.

Good.

CAG
CAG
Wednesday, January 4, AD 2023 6:03am

I’m afraid Republicans who were simply hoping for legislation reflecting conservative values will also be disappointed. Matt Gaetz is a self-serving publicity hound. He and his seem to be trying to do to the Republican party what AOC and “The Squad” have done to the Democrat party. I don’t know anything about the rest of the dissenters, but as for Gaetz, if he’s aginnitt, I’m furritt!

Art Deco
Wednesday, January 4, AD 2023 7:26am

McCarthy was pleased to strip Steve King of his committee assignments for not good reason. He also remonstrated on behalf of Lizard Cheney, when it was suggested she was an inappropriate choice to occupy a position in the leadership. It was only after escalating embarrassments from her that he arranged for her to be bounced. There were people he was willing to offend.

To some extent, McCarthy’s problems are a consequence of the conduct of a large fraction of the Senate Republican caucus – about 40% of them and the odious minority leader, that melting wax dummy from Kentucky. That conduct has generated just enough frustration to prevent him from taking the prize. The irony is that he’s the less guilty party. IMO, Scalise is the better choice.

One thing I’ll point out is how little experience in common-and-garden employment the congressional leadership has. McConnell practiced law for about six years; he never built his own firm or obtained a partnership in any established firm; John Thune has held political positions since he was 24 years old, Kevin McCarthy since he was 22 years old. Steve Scalise’s capsule biographies give no hint of what he did for a living prior to age 31. UpChuck Schumer has been an elected official since he was 24, and never practiced law. Dick Dirtbag quit practicing law when he was 38 years old; there was never a time during the 13 years he did practice that he did not have a government office or a government retainer. Nancy Pelosi has almost no employment history apart from political positions, which she’s held almost continuously since the mid 1970s. Steny Hoyer has held political positions continuously since 1962 and hasn’t practiced law since 1981. James Clyburn has held elected offices and patronage positions since 1971 (he was a schoolteacher for about a half dozen years ‘ere that). (Hakeem Jeffries was actually a working lawyer for about a dozen years. Even he had a side gig as a lobbyist).

These people have collectively little accomplishment outside of politics and even within the legislature, they’re unable to pass an ordinary budget w/specific appropriations bills, something an earlier generation of political hacks accomplished routinely.

CAG
CAG
Wednesday, January 4, AD 2023 8:39am

In DC, private sector accomplishments are overrated. The sad fact is that, whether it be by back-scratching, extortion or both (because it certainly wasn’t their charming personalities!) Schumer and Pelosi have been very effective at furthering their nation-destroying agenda. Pelosi unified a narrow majority to accomplish awful things. If the Republicans can’t unify around McCarthy, they should at least be able to unify around the goal of undoing some of those things now. If their egos won’t allow them to do that, what conservative voter will trust them enough to go to the polls November 2024? I mean, really … Boebert won her district by like 500 votes. The idea of her tossing ultimatums around is laughable.

Donald Link
Donald Link
Wednesday, January 4, AD 2023 9:29am

All the noise from the various Republican factions, and there are several, simply announces that they are incapable of unifying for the purpose of governing. This is in contrast to the dems who have no problem tolerating both a Bernie Sanders and a Joe Manchin today if it means governing tomorrow. As was said, “politics ain’t beanbag”.

Art Deco
Wednesday, January 4, AD 2023 11:51am

In DC, private sector accomplishments are overrated.

Zone back in. They’re not valued at all in DC.

Pelosi unified a narrow majority to accomplish awful things.

That’s the intramural culture of the Democratic Party at work, not her specific skills.

Art Deco
Wednesday, January 4, AD 2023 11:53am

All the noise from the various Republican factions, and there are several, simply announces that they are incapable of unifying for the purpose of governing.

McCarthy has a long history of co-operating with the Democrats to shiv his own caucus in regard to budget and appropriations. He’s getting what he deserves.

CAG
CAG
Wednesday, January 4, AD 2023 12:08pm

They’re not valued at all in DC

Ha! Correct! I meant valued by some voters, apparently, from your response, yourself included

That’s the intramural culture of the Democratic Party at work, not her specific skills.

You might be right; I’m hoping you’re not. I don’t think the Democrats’ uber-swing toward socialism was an easy move for some on the left. It had to take at least a modicum of skill to keep the moderates in tow.

Bob Kurland
Admin
Wednesday, January 4, AD 2023 2:14pm

and now for something completely different: in PA, the elected speaker of the PA House (demo majority of three in May), Mark Rozzi (Berks County) has announced he is no longer a democrat but an independent. will not caucus with either party! How’m them beans?

Art Deco
Wednesday, January 4, AD 2023 3:14pm

It had to take at least a modicum of skill to keep the moderates in tow.

There are no moderates. The Democratic Party is of one mind. I know of no street-level Democrat (and we hear from many over our Fakebook wall) that offers any critique whatsoever of the activities of the Democratic Party on any subject. You do have some dissenters (Tulsi, Bari Weiss, Alan Dershowitz), but they seem to have little in the way of a constituency in legislatures or on the ground.

Art Deco
Wednesday, January 4, AD 2023 3:16pm

How’m them beans?

IMO, speakers, like other officers of the chamber, should be elected from outside the membership and expected to be impartial officers. The floor leaders and whips should be the highest-ranking partisans.

Dale Price
Dale Price
Wednesday, January 4, AD 2023 3:59pm

Lost a sixth vote. I expect some deal with the Dems eventually.

Though going to Scalise would make the most sense, ultimately. Which is why it won’t happen.

Bob Kurland
Admin
Wednesday, January 4, AD 2023 5:21pm

AD, I believe the Speaker of the UK Parliament is not a member of any party.

Steve Phoenix
Steve Phoenix
Wednesday, January 4, AD 2023 5:43pm

McCarthy: transactional politician. Very much like Biden.

Not a compliment by the way.

CAM
CAM
Wednesday, January 4, AD 2023 8:59pm

Jim Jordan would be an excellent Speaker of the House but he does not want the job. Jordan will be managing multiple investigations. McCarthy is not trusted by some of his fellow Republicans. He’s been weak, e. g. not disciplining Liz Cheney.
Is McCarthy going to be another Mitch McConnell? The news shows are having a field day with these multiple votes. So what. Slow newsday otherwise. Who knows what negotiations are ongoing behind closed doors?
Purportedly McCarthy is threatening those holdouts – no plum committee assignments or chairmanships there of. Get more votes with honey than vinegar.

Quotermeister
Quotermeister
Thursday, January 5, AD 2023 9:12am

Jesse Watters: I don’t know if he’s dead yet, but he’s close, because I’ve never seen a situation where someone takes someone hostage and their main demand is: I want the hostage dead. So the hostage has to commit suicide. …

From the January 4, 2022, edition of Fox News’ The Five

https://www.mediamatters.org/fox-news/fox-news-five-has-meltdown-over-republicans-embarrassing-battle-over-house-speaker

Frank
Frank
Thursday, January 5, AD 2023 11:53am

I’m not sure why any true conservative finds this little struggle embarrassing. Seems to me that’s how the RINO’s should feel, not the people trying to actually make a significant change in how the GOP operates. But hey, what do I know?

Clinton
Clinton
Thursday, January 5, AD 2023 3:11pm

Frank, you and I are of one mind here. The democratic process can be messy. Dictatorships, on the other hand, seem very efficient and fuss-free…

CAM
CAM
Thursday, January 5, AD 2023 4:13pm

Frank and Clinton,
Agreed. It’s the news that’s saying this scenario about multiple votes is embarrassing..
The demands the 20-21 holdouts want from McCarthy, are what he should have thought of already. Obviously McCarthy is not the man for the job.

Discover more from The American Catholic

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading

Scroll to Top